• Standard Visitor Visa

Standard Visitor Visa

While many people are able to visit the UK as a ‘Standard Visitor’ without requiring a visa, there are some circumstances where it is necessary to obtain a Standard Visitor Visa in advance of travel even if the purpose of the trip is tourism or visiting family and friends.

The most common reason that someone may need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa before travelling to the UK is their nationality. While citizens of countries like Australia, the USA, Japan or EU/EEA member states do not typically require a Standard Visitor visa for short, occasional trips to the UK, nationals of over 100 other countries are not usually allowed to enter the UK without a pre-approved visa.

Anyone who has previously been refused entry to the UK or who has a criminal record should consider applying for a Standard Visitor Visa even if they meet the other criteria for visa-free travel to the UK.

Standard Visitor Visa costs and process

The Home Office fee for a Standard Visitor Visa is £115. If granted, the visa will last for six months.

You will need to apply no earlier than three months before you are intending to travel to the UK, and will need to prove that:

  • you have enough funds to support yourself (and any dependants travelling with you) for your whole stay
  • you intend to leave the UK when your visit ends
  • you are not planning to effectively live in the UK by making successive or frequent visits

There are additional requirements and separate guidance if you are intending to enter the UK as a visitor in order to study, seek medical treatment, undertake activity as an academic or as a senior doctor or dentist.

If you are intending to enter the UK to get married or give notice to do so, you should consider whether you need a Marriage Visa instead.

As part of the application process, you will also need to attend a visa application centre in order to have your photograph and fingerprints taken.

Any dependants will also need to submit their own application and have their own appointment at the application centre.

Check whether you require a Standard Visitor Visa

Demetris Demetriou

Demetris is a dual-qualified lawyer in the UK (Solicitor) and Cyprus (Advocate) with 10+ years of experience in UK immigration. He completed his legal studies at University College London and City University London. Over the course of his career, he held key roles as Head of Immigration at Legal 500 firms and within the Big4, overseeing teams of 15+ fee earners handling 2000+ applications annually.

Demetris went on to co-establish his firm in London and continues to offer innovative solutions and strategic immigration planning to multinationals, SMEs, and private clients.

He personally represented 1500+ clients in 30+ visa routes including investors, entrepreneurs, innovators, sole representatives, students, family visas, global talent, UK ancestry, administrative reviews and appeals. Demetris has managed corporate relocations, conducted immigration law training and implemented post-Brexit immigration policies for corporate clients.

Demetris has been featured in various events and publications focusing on UK immigration, notably at the Cambridge Network, the Westminster Policy Forum and most recently at DGEMS, a global mobility summit hosted by Forbes India.

If you would like to discuss your UK immigration matter or have any questions about your options for immigrating to the UK, you can book a consultation here.

Tatiani Preifelt

Tatiani has a wealth of expertise in global mobility and corporate immigration. Her ample skills were acquired within leading immigration practices including three out of the Big4 firms in both the UK and Sweden. Tatiani went on to co-establish her firm in London where she continues to advise clients predominantly in corporate, business and skilled work migration.

Having personally relocated to 10 different countries, Tatiani understands the importance of an expedient and successful immigration process and takes pride in delivering a seamless experience to her clients as well.

Over the course of her career, she has assisted over 500 individuals and businesses to obtain the appropriate visa permits in the UK.

Her awarded academic work at The University of Oxford, The London School of Economics, and at The Geneva University is in the fields of Political Science, International Human Rights Law, and Global Migration Governance.

She regularly provides immigration training and has recently participated as a speaker and panellist at DGEMS 2023, a global mobility summit hosted by Forbes India.

If you would like to discuss your UK immigration matter or have any questions about your options for immigrating to the UK, you can book a consultation here.